Blasting caps or detonators are used to induce the detonation of a larger and more powerful explosive, which for safety purposes is designed to detonate only after a certain threshold amount of energy is supplied. Fuses extend from the blasting caps and are designed to carry fire to the blasting caps to initiate ignition. Blasting caps are usually provided with a thin-walled outer metallic shell, into the end of which the fuse or bridge plug with lead wires is inserted. The shell wall is then crimped onto the plug or fuse to seal the shell. It is often difficult in obtaining a good seal in crimping articles of this kind. Pliers-type crimpers can be used to accomplish this task.
Pliers-type crimpers include a single pair of crimping elements, and may include other tool features, such as fuse/cord cutters and a powder punch on one of the handles. Present crimpers are relatively complex and bulky and are not as portable as desired. For safety, it is desirable that a crimper also be non-sparking and non-magnetic. Materials that have the desired properties, such as titanium and beryllium-copper, are relatively expensive, and titanium is difficult to machine. Although aluminum has the desired properties in terms of ease of manufacture and is also non-sparking and non-magnetic, aluminum by itself does not have the desired wear properties. For military use, additional features are required or desirable. Specifically, the crimper should be non-reflective and leave no magnetic signature for reduced detectability in the field.
When dealing with explosives, using multiple separate tools to carry out various functions is inconvenient, and more importantly, increases the danger of setting off a spark that could ignite the explosive being worked on. Therefore, it is desirable to have a tool that includes various functions that are often performed by separate individual tools. This disclosure describes a hand tool that is designed to effectively perform multiple functions that are usually performed with multiple separate tools. The disclosed hand tool, therefore, obviates the risk involved in taking out and putting away multiple tools in the vicinity of high-powered explosives.